Torches in the Cave
by 17dragonboy
Summary: A group of novice hunters are sent to eliminate a Khezu lurking in an abandoned mine. (One shot.)


Hidden in a mountainside in the wetlands was a cave system with an abundance of valuable ores and crystals. Naturally, once it was discovered, the guild wanted to mine the cavern for all its worth. Construction began to install cart railways and widen the tunnels, and soon minerals were being sent out by the wagon full. Before this network could delve too deep though, a wyvern made itself known with the killing of several miners. The dig site was immediately and entirely abandoned. The survivors' reports described the wyvern as having white leathery hide all over, and with a long neck but no face, just a circular jaw. The guild determined it to be the blind and electrical Khezu, and dispatched a team of monster hunters to eliminate the threat.

So now, four hunters made their way deeper into the mines, each carrying a torch that illuminated the otherwise pitch black tunnels. The air and walls were cold and damp, and the floor was almost slippery. Mining tools and uncleared rubble still littered the path, and the group went around a mine cart loaded with glimmering ores. Technically they were forbidden from taking anything, as the mine was guild owned, but who would know if a little went missing? There would be time for that later though, once the monster had been dealt with.

Eventually the group came to a clearing where the cave walls and ceiling opened up. The metal rails split into two tracks, puddles of water covered the ground, and sprouting from one wall was an enormous crystal that immediately captivated the entering hunters. It was larger than any monster they had seen, and its staggering monetary value could only be guessed at. How the miners were going to extract it from the tight cavern was another question. Probably in pieces.

The huntress that entered the area last had the instinct to look up, only to suddenly see a large circular set of fangs inches from her face. Before she could even gasp it snatched her by her head, digging its fangs in around her neck. The others spun around in a panic, but as they moved the rest of the wyvern's body then dropped from the ceiling down onto another hunter. In an instant water splashed, armor bent, bones snapped and organs ruptured, leaving the hunter underneath to silently cry out. His torch fell from his grip into the shallow water, almost but not entirely extinguishing it.

One of the hunters stumbled back in shock, the huntress vainly thrashed against the wyvern's maw, and the third unslung their bowgun and began shooting madly at the wyvern's neck to free her. The muzzle flashed against the cavern walls and its eruptions echoed painfully in the confines, each putting a bolt through the monster's hide. Gurgling and groaning, the wyvern stood upright and wound its head to one side, dragging the huntress across the ground with it. Then it pivoted and swung its head around at the gunner like a whip, stretching far and hitting him hard against the stone wall. The room grew darker when the huntress' torch fully submerged somewhere, her body left in the gunner's lap with her head hanging oddly and neck gushing blood all over.

Shaken but not frozen, the gunner pushed the corpse off, stood back up and continued shooting, moving for the entrance as the slobbering sniffing wyvern tracked towards him. Its jaw lurched forward again, stretching its neck, but its lips only wrapped around the hunter's bowgun that he held up as a shield. There was a moment of struggle, each tugging away, but then the wyvern's elongated head began to wrap around the bowgun and the hunter himself, much like a snake, as the wyvern's body drew nearer.

The gunner shouted for help, snapping his remaining ally out of his shock. Though still hesitant, the hunter splashed over the railways and drove his sword deep into the pale wyvern's back end, twisting at the handle to widen the wound. Little response came from the monster though, and then the hunter felt an erratic shock in his arms, causing his grip to tighten. Electricity began to visibly arc along the wyvern's skin, then the monster let out a cry and the electrical arcs lashed out violently, lighting up the cave, ripping across its surfaces and throttling the two hunters.

The swordsman was thrown away onto his back without his weapon, twitching uncontrollably and writhing from the pain all throughout his body. Only after a few seconds could he breath again and desperately force himself up onto an elbow. The gunner's torch lied on the ground, illuminating his motionless body and the wyvern examining him before it began to turn around.

With a frantic cry the hunter rolled over onto all fours, grabbed his torch and started crawling for the mine shaft, resigning himself for what he was about to do. He got onto his feet but fell, then got up again and continued staggering to the tunnel, putting a hand against the wall as soon as it was within reach. He could not spare a look back at his team, but tears welled up in his eyes as he hurriedly limped up the passage, abandoning them with the wyvern. He could only hope their deaths would be swift, and tried to push off thoughts of otherwise occurring.

The hunter shuttered when the light behind him was blocked out, and he saw the white wyvern squeezing its way up the mine shaft. Almost pleading, he wondered why it continued after him instead of just feeding on his allies. He had to keep moving, and so forced his aching body to keep stepping, fighting the thoughts of giving up. The upward slope was against him, the ground was uneven and slick. He could only hope the confines would slow the wyvern enough that he could escape the cave. The exit wasn't that far, and he seemed to be outpacing the monster.

A horrible deafening wail then filled the tunnel, rippling water and shaking stone. The hunter clutched at his ears in anguish, feeling as if daggers were being pushed inside of them. Then he tripped over something, making him fall hard to his knees and elbows. The wail soon subsided though, and after stumbling down once more the hunter was back on his feet and on the move.

Up ahead the hunter could see a mine cart on the tracks. The same one that was heavily loaded with ore. If he could get past it might block the wyvern long enough for him to escape. He could even push it down at the monster.

The crackling of electricity rang behind the hunter, and when he glanced back he saw what looked like a stringy cluster of light racing up the ground towards him. Before he could attempt to move it ran up his leg, painfully seizing up all of his muscles and causing him to fall to his face, still clutching his torch. He lied there twitching for several moments, begging his body to regain control. He could hear the wyvern getting closer, sniffing its way up. The shaking stopped, but his body was too weak to move, in too much pain, he was barely able to push himself up.

The ground shook with heavy footsteps, then the wyvern's lips wrapped around the side of the hunter's face. The fangs dug in, but more painfully its acidic saliva began to burn through his exposed skin. The hunter let out a weak cry and tried to twist free, even managing to draw his knife and jab it into the monster. With a jerk though the wyvern pulled the hunter closer and pinned him with the digits of its wings, then moved its maw down around his head, darkening his sight. Acid got into his eyes before he closed them, and it sputtered his breath as it swept over his lips and nose.

The wyvern's lips stretched over the hunter's shoulders and crept further along, bringing him deeper and deeper into its throat. His mind accepted the end, now just wishing for death to come quickly, but the bliss of shock would not come. The acid burned deeper into his flesh, and his body could barely move in the pressing confines. All he could do was murmur in pain like a dying animal.

The torch lied on the ground as the hunter fully disappeared into the wyvern, still burning. Even as the wyvern returned to the dark caverns below, the torch continued to burn.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated. If you liked this, maybe check out my other stuff!**


End file.
